Guest Post: Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Help

Hi, all. It's Matt. I've been reading some of your blog posts, and they've been really interesting. Thanks for all that great reading material!

Meredith invited me to write a guest post for the class blog, so I thought I'd give you a few tips on blog design and the Blogger interface.

Before I go on, I've updated and uploaded my handout to Google Docs in case you need a quick refresher. Check it out here. (These changes reflect some tweaks to the Blogger layout since I first wrote out. It's all written assuming that you are on the old Blogger layout. If you've migrated to the new layout ... good luck, I suppose? Ha!)

Design

I'm glad to see you using Blogger to customize the layout, images, color schemes, and fonts on your blogs. But, much like the Force, all those tools can be used for good or evil. Here are some tips to keep your blog from the Dark Side:

First, think about your audience. If someone's reading your blog, will they wade through your whole post if the page is busy with graphics, contrasting colors, and crazy fonts?

Stick with simple colors that complement each other whenever possible. It doesn't mean you have to go with a black-and-white color scheme, but if you're using a green background, consider something softer than a bright neon shade.

Along those same lines, think about lightening up your background color if it's pretty dark while also darkening your text. White text on a dark background is nice in small doses, but stark contrasts like that get difficult to read after awhile.

Stay simple with your font choice, too. Would you write your resume or cover letter with the font you're blogging in? If the answer is "no," consider changing it. I get that it's your blog and that you want to customize it to your heart's content, but think about how tough it is to decipher some of the funkier fonts.

Linking

I didn't see a ton of links on your blog posts; did you have a tough time remembering how to link? Or was it just a case of forgetfulness? Either way, a super quick refresher.

First thing's first, copy the URL you want to link to onto your clipboard. Do this by highlighting the URL -- it starts with http:// -- and pressing CRTL+C on a PC or COMMAND+C on a Mac. Head back to your blog post and highlight the text you want to serve as the link text.

From there, click the little chain link/Earth button up above the blog editor window -- it's to the left of where you adjust the text alignment (left/center/right/justified). Then paste the URL (CTRL+V on a PC or COMMAND+C on a Mac) into the box that pops up.

And if those instructions are still throwing you off, I'd point you in the direction of my handout again.

Video

This is the most complicated task and seemed to cause some confusion. Are there any questions I can answer in the comments for you?

I would say, again, check out the handout for the detailed instructions on how to embed a video. If one of the steps is tripping you up, I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments section.

But, overall, your blogs look good and are a joy to read. I hope that these hints and suggestions don't indicate otherwise. Keep up the great work, and have a fantastic semester.

Matt